Warming climate increases UK plant pest risk

Rising UK temperatures are increasing the likelihood of new plant pests establishing nationwide, threatening agriculture and forestry, the Met Office has warned.

The forecaster said the UK reached an annual average temperature of 10.09C in 2025, making it the warmest year in a series dating back to 1884.

Scientists say these rising temperatures are creating conditions that allow species previously unable to survive in the UK to establish themselves.

See also: Crop pest Colorado beetle successfully eradicated in UK

Dr Debbie Hemming, a Met Office scientist leading research into climate and nature interactions, said warmer conditions were driving changes in species distribution.

“With the warmer climate and recent extreme events, many species are shifting their ranges into locations previously too cold,” she said.

“This includes pests that were previously unable to survive in the UK. Many of these pose significant risks to UK agriculture and forestry as well as the wider environment.

“As our climate changes, we can expect further new arrivals.”

Web tool

To assess these risks, Met Office scientists have developed the UK Climate-Pest Risk web tool in collaboration with Defra’s plant health risk and horizon scanning team.

The tool supports pest risk experts in identifying species likely to threaten the UK and planning management actions.

It currently assesses nine insect pests affecting forestry and agriculture, including the Asian longhorn beetle, brown marmorated stink bug, Japanese beetle and oak processionary moth.

One recent success highlighted by the Met Office was the targeted eradication of the Colorado beetle, a major pest of potato crops, from the UK.